A Rancid World
by sweetlilsunshine
Summary: The world didn't go back to normal after Johnny Rancid changed reality; Robin and Larry didn't save the day. Raven was the one who tried to be the hero; tried and failed to prevent the dark world that fit her so well. She was the one who was stolen away by the enemy, taken on that day from everything she knew; told by a man she hated that she was to become his Queen.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/n: This is a pairing that I always thought made sense in a twisted sort of way. Based on the events of episode 24, after Rancid transformed Larry's version of reality into a gothic twisted one of his own.**_

_**D: I do not own Teen Titans copyrights.**_

Raven descended in fury, her eyes narrowed dangerously at the approaching motorcycle. This was a man they hadn't had as much experience with as some of the other crooks of Jump City. He had only started causing trouble recently actually; though their last and only experience with him _had _gotten their leader injured.

"You like dark? I'll give you dark." She told him ominously; noting with dislike that the villain had begun to grin. Her teeth silently gritted at his blatant arrogance; the only outward sign of her rage as she floated before him. Her next words were hissed.

"Azerath." Raven's outstretched arms came together to sweep over her head in an almost fluid motion.

"Metrion." Sparking darkness swirled around her palms, forming effortlessly into a spiraling ball of darkness. She leveled it at her opponent, unable to keep her tone from rising as she screamed the last and final word of her familiar incantation.

"Zinthos!"

Dark tendrils erupted from her hands and shot out at the demonic rider; summoned from her inner self to do the will of its mistress. As she had expected, the newly empowered Johnny Rancid retaliated; firing his own blood red energy to collide with her own. The power was enormous; she could feel it weighing her down the moment red hit black. Raven forced more of her power into the onslaught; wincing at its toll but unwilling to back down from such a crucial fight.

She had to defeat him, Robin was in no state to step in and the rest had already been otherwise defeated; if she failed then that was it. As Beast Boy would so intelligently put it: 'Game Over.'

Rancid's grin had disappeared; replaced by an expression of an entirely different nature as he too channeled more energy into the collision. Raven frowned at its appearance; her lack of emotional experience preventing her from placing its meaning.

"Do you like my world?" He called out suddenly; the power increasing tenfold as that dammed grin returned.

Raven blinked, in truth she actual did like this new dark world that her foe had cooked up; it was certainly better than the one Larry had landed them in. The gothic architecture, dark skies and menacing auras seemed as if they had come straight from the inner recesses of her own mind. If it wasn't for the monster who had created them; she would have enjoyed living here very much.

Her power slipped in the face of distraction; allowing Rancid's red energy to creep forward before she forced it back again. Taking a deep, cleansing breath; Raven cleared her mind of all thoughts, knowing that to lose control of her mind or emotions would be a fatal mistake.

The motorcyclists only chuckled menacingly at her lack of response; apparently determined to keep their pointless conversation going. "It's the world of Johnny Rancid." He announced with that same sickening smirk. "I own this town now." He proved his point by using his second hand to fire yet another energy bolt her way; laughing wickedly when it caught the edge of her cloak. Luckily, the rest of her had made it out of the crossfire with a close dodge.

Raven scowled deeply; not in the least happy with her situation. She was not used to keeping up her powers for so long and the stress was beginning to get to her. Her normally controlled emotions were beginning to slip due to sheer exhaustion; already his amusement was making her bristle.

"You're not too bad looking for one of birdie's friends." He commented over the sparking sounds of their powers', the words alone causing her continuous energy to spike dangerously. Raven forced it back into its proper place with a grimace; knowing all too well that if his bating continued she could very realistically lose control completely.

He seemed to notice, as it wasn't long after that when she saw his eyes flicker across her form; his disgusting tongue moving to lick his lips appreciating. Raven saw red as for a split second her energy surged forward; the burst so powerful that it almost knocked both of them out of the sky.

Rancid whistled, the sound itself almost earning him the same result as before. "Damn girl, you're a bit of a hellcat too aren't you?" When she didn't respond he eyed her again, grinning when the resulting blast wasn't nearly as big as the last one. He almost seemed pleased that her control was returning; something that made Raven very suspicious in its own right.

"How 'bout you ditch those friends of yours hmm?" His eyebrow rose suggestively as his free hand came to gesture at all that was him. "I can give you a better time than birdie boy any day."

"Die," She hissed, talking to the man for the first time since the fight began. "Stop talking and fight. I've had enough of your useless-" Raven stopped mid-word, eyes widening when she heard a both familiar and worrying sound.

Starfire's Tamaran battle cry filled the air mere seconds before a burning blast plowed into Raven's lower back; the sudden pain more than enough to shatter the focus she had been upholding for so long. A cry of her own escaped her lips as Rancid's crimson energy finally slammed into her; the energy of both her friend and foe combining into one fatal blow.

The world went black before she could even crash to the waters below.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Johnny Rancid couldn't help but laugh at the ingenuity that had come to play before him; especially at the horrified expression of the alien princess. It had been fairly simple to do actually; pretend to miss the dark chick when all he was really doing was repositioning her friend. The angry alien had lashed out the moment she was released of course; unwittingly striking down her teammate in a moment of blind furry.

The thing was; the girl currently falling through the air had no idea of her friend's true intentions. Johnny would bet a million that this incident would be read as betrayal in some form; a fact that he would be dammed if he didn't take advantage of in what he planned next.

The alien girl was diving now; moving to catch her friend before she hit the choppy waves. The other titans, both the green kid and the metal man were now fighting his sticky waters desperately in an attempt to reach her, both piteously calling out her name.

"Raven!" That was green boy; transforming into multiple flying creatures in his effort to escape the clinging waters.

"Raven!" Metal man seemed to be trying to find the hand that Johnny had blasted off earlier; an effort that he really did not get how it would help the current situation.

Johnny only continued to laugh; delighted at least that the pathetic heroes had supplied him with the name of his newest conquest. The alien was closer now, inches away from the unconscious girl; he revved his bike.

The girl's fingers had barely brushed her arm when Johnny lurched forward; snatching the dark beauty into his arms at the exact moment he blasted her friend back into the constricting clouds. He clutched her to his chest as he rode off over the city; knowing well that there was no one left that could prevent him from taking his prize.

Distantly, over the cries of the other titans and the sounds of the growing storm, Johnny smiled as one more voice reached his ears.

Birdie cried 'Raven' until Johnny could no longer hear him; his smile transformed into an amazingly wicked grin. Little Robin was the only one out of his little friends who was unable to even _try _and rescue this girl; a fact in itself that delighted him to no end. He felt like the ruler of the world; no, he _was _the ruler, hell he was the _creator_ even.

From vandal to king within an hour; Johnny could not deny that his day had gone very well indeed. He looked down at the girl within his arms with much the same feeling of accomplishment. He had not originally planned to take her with of course; but their little encounter had struck something in him. She was definitely too good to continue running around with those do-gooders. If he was poetic he would have called her a 'diamond in the rough.'

He wasn't mind you, but it didn't really matter that much in the long run anyway.

Besides, this girl had spunk; he hadn't missed how she had called his world 'cool' so soon after its creation. It hadn't intrigued him then but it did now; his interest had been peaked the moment she had used those unique powers of hers. It was actually rather scary how well she could fit in here; her potential was limitless.

Johnny wrapped his free hand around her slender wrists at the reminder of her abilities; feeding his energies into the material forming upon tender skin. Only when he was done did he release her; satisfied, for now at least, that the dark bandage-like bracelets would perform the job he had given them.

After all, he didn't want his new Queen to try and escape on him.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/n: Nice review haul for the first chapter; hope the next couple gets just as much, if not more.**_

_**D: I do not own Teen Titans copyrights.**_

Robin stared in disbelief at the skyline of the once familiar city; twisted and transformed into a darker version of what it once was. The distant outline of Rancid's motorcycle was far gone now; along with a girl who was both his friend and teammate to who knew where. Robin hadn't done _anything _to save her; the thought alone making his fist clench in disgust. He was pathetic.

"Raven. . ."

"Titans Go! Titans Go!" Larry chanted from his elbow, looking up at the other him with completely un-veiled awe. "Robin has to beat the bad guy!"

Robin sighed, he didn't have time for this kid; not when Raven was in trouble. "Look Larry," He spat, remembering too late to reign in his temper. The mini 'him' looked devastated, something that would have made him feel unbearably guilty at any other time or place. As it was; all he felt now was annoyed.

"I can't do it! _Ok_?" He shoved his injured arm under the guy's nose and waved it furiously. "_This_ is what my efforts got me last time Larry!" His voice lowered drastically; softening to the point of cracking. "Raven doesn't need my mistakes."

"She needs Robin," Larry stated stubbornly, continuing before the masked teen could even deny his claim. "Not this Robin." He gestured in his general direction. "_Robin_."

Robin shook his head, not quite getting what the kid was saying but not quite wanting him to elaborate either. "She needs _them_; Starfire, Cyborg and Beastboy." He nodded down to where the other Titans struggled below him. "They won't mess it up again."

"So?" Larry asked incredulously. "I mess up all the time; but I still try. That's how come you're my hero Robin; because no matter what, you try." He jabbed his bandaged finger into Robin's chest. "And _that's_ the Robin your friend needs."

There was a moment of silence between the two Robins; one looking expectant while the other contemplated what had just been said. Finally the bigger one turned to his smaller companion; a smile appearing upon his face as he realized what he had to do.

"Larry, can you free the others?"

The little guy nodded, though he looked a little confused. "Larry can fix your bike too, we need to chase the bad guy. Heroes-".

Robin cut him off with a shake of the head. "It's too risky, we can't just rush into this now. He could hurt Raven. And besides," He gave Larry a reassuring smile. "Heroes always fight better in a team. So. . . Will you do it?"

This time Larry saluted; inspired. "Aye, Aye!" He cried, his broken finger sparking a bit as he tried to change into a sailor. The other dimensional him winced when it didn't work; apparently he had forgotten what had gotten them into this mess to start with.

Robin watched as Larry floated down to free Beastboy and Cyborg from the water; the mini him going as far as to literally wrestle open the clouds for Starfire's escape. It didn't even amaze him anymore; broken finger or not, Larry could do the impossible like no one else.

The masked Titan moved to the very edge of the Tower's roof; once more gazing off in the direction Rancid had taken his friend.

"Don't worry Raven," He told no one, "We're coming."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Raven groaned upon awakening; feeling, for the first time in her existence, as though she had a hangover. Placing a hand to her forehead; Raven focused on healing the headache before anything else. There was something important playing in the back of her mind; something that the raging pain was preventing her from remembering. She knew she should probably worry about other things first but her titan's instinct was telling her otherwise; and that was something you took rather seriously in her line of work.

Finally, after much examination; Raven deciphered that her new found headache was not only caused by extensive injuries to her body, but that those injuries had already been healed. She frowned; how could that be when she was the only titan with those kinds of powers? Raven finished her check-up and cleared the headache; deciding that her situation was too strange to let it heal naturally.

Memories of her failure swam back to her now; mainly of Starfire's role in her downfall. That confused her the most; _Starfire_, sweet and innocent Starfire _betrayed_ her? No, it just didn't make sense; though in light of focusing on more important things, Raven was willing to push it aside for now. She needed to figure out where she was for one; as it wasn't something she could immediately identify when she woke up and it would be crucial for her escape. Just by being her five minutes she could tell she wasn't in the tower; the bed she was in was _way _too fancy for their budget.

It wasn't just the bed either; the entire room was luxurious. From the carpets down to the desk and wardrobe, it all held an air of wealth. It wasn't the expensive items that tipped her off though; it was the dark and gothic style that all of them seemed to be fashioned in. She groaned into her hand at the revelation; that meant they hadn't defeated Rancid. That of course meant that the Titans had lost and that she should be dying in a ditch somewhere; not warm and cozy in some rich suite.

If the Titans where going to hide out; they would have chosen somewhere more practical. Someone else had drug her here, that much was obvious; her only questions were '_who?_' and _'why?'_.

As if to answer her question a maid chose that moment to enter her room; the usual maid uniform twisted into a gothic Lolita version of its original form. The poor girl looked mortified.

"I was sent to assist you." She told her, keeping her voice almost painfully polite; as if she thought Raven would lash out at a single mistake. Raven blinked; why was she afraid?

"Sent?" The dark titan questioned back. She tried to make her voice soothing but it was something she had never done before; for all she knew she could have terrified the maid even more.

"By the de-" The girl stopped speaking, perhaps even stopped breathing. Raven scowled despite herself; she didn't have time for this.

"By _who_?"

The girl 'eeped' at both Raven's murderous scowl and at the unintentional way the darker girl had hissed her words. "By the man who brought you here!" The girl cried, flinching as though Raven was going to lash out. When she didn't the girl continued, though the look of terror did not leave her eyes; Raven swallowed her guilt, she would apologize once she had her answers.

"He did _this_," The girl gestured to her outfit and then to the room they found themselves in, "To the entire city. He destroyed half of Jump with a demonic bike before he came here; said he wanted the _Elite _to become his castle. The manager refused and then he. . . he. . ." Much to Raven's horror, the maid began to cry.

"He _killed _him! Said he would do the same to us if we didn't obey him!" She sunk to her knees; weeping rivers of snot and tears. Now it was Raven's turn to look mortified. Though through the girl's sob story she had been able to pick up important details; the first of which being her location. The _Elite _was the fanciest hotel in Jump City after all; it was pretty famous. That hadn't been the only thing she had picked up though; the girl had also, more or less, told her _exactly_ who her captor was.

And as much as she so wanted to; this titan wasn't going to stick around and see what Johnny Rancid had planned for her.

Raven slid out of bed and strolled to the nearest window; pleased to find that it did indeed open. Placing one foot on the window she tried to quell her emotions; fall into the serenity that would allow her flight. The maid had stopped crying in favor of looking at her like she was crazy; Raven couldn't even begin to care. Something was wrong; she didn't even feel the surge that her powers usually brought her. There was _nothing _there, not her inner core or the dark tendrils of her energy; like a void had opened up inside of her and devoured all who she was.

She took a step back, frowning now, and instead leveled her outstretched arms at the window itself; intending to test out her abilities with a simple act. Raven said her incantation and waited, expecting to see the window slam shut and blinking when nothing happened. The maid had left unnoticed, probably off to tell her new master of his prey's strange behavior. Her teeth began to grit at the thought of that man; knowing that it was most likely he who did this to her.

Inwardly she cursed him; she didn't know how he did it but he had weakened her more than she had ever been before. The rage and hatred that welled inside of her just then was more than enough to break a few things had she been empowered; that bastard better be thankful that she wasn't. With another secret curse Raven marched back over to the bed; resigned to waiting for her prison warden like a good little prisoner.

He had it coming for him if he thought she would take this sitting down though. Powers or not, Raven was going to make him regret that he had been born a male for what he had done to her.

Raven was _not _a girl you messed with.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/n: Thanks for the support!**_

_**D: I do not own any Teen Titans copyrights.**_

Johnny Rancid was grinning; in fact he hadn't stopped grinning since his transformation back at that stupid little tower. He hadn't dared to dream that things would go this smoothly; not even when he realized what that strange light could do for him.

He hadn't really thought he could get past the titans _this _easy after all; even with his bragging he was sure there would be _some _sort of a fight. He laughed a strange and cackling sort of laugh; effectively scaring the weaklings he had scared into serving him.

He had never thought it would feel so good to be wrong.

"My my. Someone's happy."

Johnny scowled at the unfamiliar voice; his grin effectively vanished in the face of the unknown. Standing up cautiously, the transformed street thug made sure his back was to the wall before surveying the room around him. Years of practice had not made Johnny Rancid a stupid man after all; he knew enough to protect his back when a fight was itching to be made.

"Who's there?" He called out with a strong, unwavering tone; knowing to appear unaffected. Other than the serving guys and himself the room seemed to be empty, though experience told Johnny otherwise. It was too soon after his takeover for him to be unchallenged; and judging by the sinister way in which the voice spoke, this was one of those challengers.

"Now there's no need to get so riled up dear boy." Johnny flinched, realizing too late that there was a spot that he had overlooked. The intruder laughed as the demonic boy jerked his head upwards; their eyes meeting for the briefest of seconds before the other man abandoned the ceiling in favor of the floor.

There was a muted thump and then the guy was before him; kneeled in perfect form. "I'm here to help."

Johnny raised an eyebrow at his theatrics before openly gaping at the mask perched upon his face. He had heard of it before, heck the whole _underworld_ had heard of it. You didn't get far in the criminal career without knowing who this guy was.

"You're Slade." Johnny breathed, almost kneeling himself before he remembered the recent developments to the food chain; this guy wasn't top dog anymore, he was. His expression hardened. "What are you doing here?"

Slade stood, though his head remained bowed. "I told you, I'm here to help."

"You want to _help _me?" Johnny wasn't buying it, all the stories he'd heard about the guy said he didn't give up his cards so easily. "What's in it for you?"

"Now why would there be anything in it for me?" The man oozed, "All I want is for the new leader of this world to have a stable government. All you need is someone to help you establish your power, an _advisor_ if you will."

Johnny blinked, he hadn't really thought of actually making a government. So far all he'd really thought about was slash and burn; but if he wanted to keep control he probably would have to set up something. Maybe this guy had a point; maybe Johnny _did _need a fall back guy. It wasn't like he could stomach politics on his own after all.

"I think you might be on to something." He allowed, looking at the man before him with new eyes. "But what makes you think _you're _the guy I need?"

"He isn't. Well at least not all the way."

Johnny spun towards the door; more than a little annoyed that yet _another _uninvited guest had slipped into his room. What did those weak little staff members_ do? _Sleep all day? He shook his head, this guy hadn't even bothered to hide; just walking in through the door like that. It made him mad, but what made him madder was that; unlike Slade, this intruder was far from a famous name.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?"

The guy smirked, riling Johnny up even more. He even had the gall to bow his well-kept head mockingly; it was infuriating.

"Why I'm Brother Blood. Newly established headmaster at the 'Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination Academy', or the H.I.V.E for short."

He smiled again but this time Johnny was too far gone to care. The name 'Brother Blood' was not a familiar one but the H.I.V.E was; the place was even in the same league as Slade himself. What were all the big names coming to him for anyway? Sure he had just altered reality but he was still nothing special. For the first time since this whole thing started Johnny felt nervous; these were some seriously powerful dudes. If they wanted to they could wipe him out without even batting an eye; and though his new powers made him stronger than they were, they definitely had had the title 'evil genius' for way longer than he had. These were not guys that he wanted to get on the bad side of.

"Young Johnny Rancid is in the need of a powerful ally." Slade voice was steady and polite but it still served its purpose. Even Johnny could tell that the masked man was ticked; a fact that didn't make him feel any better about being in the same room as him. "Are you suggesting that _you_ are better suited for this?"

"No." The older man stated calmly, looking like he would be more at home at a tea party then at a meeting of powerful figure heads. "Only that Mr. Rancid needs more than politics to rule the world. He needs a _military_. Something that I think he will find my students more than adept for."

"I have followers as well Blood." Slade said in such a way that it came out refined and menacing at the same time. "Are you saying that I give them over to your armies?"

Johnny cleared his throat before the headmaster could reply. They were arguing like he had already decided and he couldn't stand for that; if they were going to work for them then he couldn't allow them to walk over him. He agreed with their arguments and thought that they would make better allies than enemies; but as he said before, _he _would be top dog.

"I agree with making you my advisor," He nodded over at Slade, "And you my general." He nodded at Brother Blood. "But understand this: if you're working for me than you are working _for _me. Not with me and not over me. Whatever you already control you can keep controlling; but everything else falls into your separate divisions." He looked at the two men sternly, "Understood?"

There was a shared look between them, well at least between Blood and Slade's mask, and then a nod. It seems his little speech had impressed them; something that secretly had him breathing a sigh of relief. If this was going to happen; he didn't want to have to deal with mutinies on the side.

Johnny turned towards Brother Blood, "Now if that's all settled and over with, could I pick out a couple of guards from your students? You two got in here a little too easy for my taste."

Brother Blood nodded and backed out of the room. "Of course."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Raven was meditating; lost deep within her subconscious as she tried to regain her powers. The strange bandages on her arms had been the first thing she had focused on; and even though it had been obvious that these were the reason she had lost them, no amount of meditating had been able to destroy them. After that she had meditated only to spend time. It was easier to envision herself back in the tower when she was like this; well when she ignored that she wasn't floating that is. Other than that it was far more peaceful than pacing the room in anxiety.

The sound of voices outside her room brought her out of her trance slightly; the voice of the maid from earlier alerting her to the situation at hand. She almost winced, it seemed Rancid had come for her earlier than she planned.

She didn't open her eyes when the door opened; focusing once more on using her powers instead of paying any mind to her visitors. If they wanted her than they would try and break her out of it. Raven wasn't even going to bother hiding what she was doing; she had found out pretty quickly that those bracelets glowed when she tried to use her energy so there was really no point.

"You're wasting your time."

Raven gritted her teeth, recognizing the voice from their fight. She ignored him but Johnny Rancid continued anyway.

"I created those bracelets, they're not going to break that easily."

"Why didn't you leave me back at the tower?" Raven asked without even going as far as opening her eyes. "Going this far to keep me locked up is only more work for you."

There was movement on the bed and Raven snapped her eyes open; letting out a little breath when she realized how close this man had gotten. She wanted to back away but she stood her ground; moving so much as an inch would only serve to make him smug.

"You interested me." Red eyes stared down blue before the demon moved away with a shrug. "I thought you would be at better use here than playing hero with your pathetic friends."

"Use?" Raven gestured at her luxurious room with a sarcastic wave. "This is hardly the environment for a slave."

Johnny only chuckled, "Slave? No I don't think you get it." He moved close again, grabbing the unwilling titan with a strong grip; pulling her tight against his chest.

"You would make a much better Queen."

There wasn't even time for a breath before Raven was out of his arms and in his face; punching him straight in the jaw.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/n: Nice reviews everyone, hope you continue to read and enjoy my story!**_

_**D: I do not own any Teen Titans copyrights.**_

There was a bright pink flash and a startled grunt as Raven flew across the room; crashing violently into an expensive looking vanity. She groaned as she picked herself out of the rubble; a hand on her forehead coming away with a lot of blood marring the pale skin. There was a sigh as she yanked a good sized piece of glass out of her head; the Titan sending a heated glare in the direction of the blast.

Raven was not stupid; she doubted that the timing of that explosion had been coincidental. Someone had attacked the moment her fist had gotten a little too friendly with Rancid's face and it hadn't been demon boy himself; red was his thing, not pink. The color _was_ familiar though; it brought to mind a certain she-villain who had faced her team on several occasions.

Sure enough Jinx lounged in the doorway with a brutal glint in her catlike eyes; she smirked when Raven's gaze fell on her. "Nuh-uh blue girl," The pink witch taunted, "Don't get too close now."

"What are you doing here?" Raven spat, her murderous look only growing in intensity when another masked teen popped out of the shadows. His wasn't a face she had seen before but she could still place a fairly accurate guess as to where he had come from. She narrowed her eyes. "I didn't know the H.I.V.E hired out cronies."

Jinx growled and her dark friend seemed to grow more menacing; but neither of them made a move to attack, not even Jinx. Raven blinked as she followed their gazes back over to Rancid; a man who, for some reason, was still unceremoniously sprawled out across the floor. With eyes closed and breathing even Raven could almost have sworn that her captor had fallen asleep; she would have if it wasn't for the injuries she had dealt him.

Or maybe _lack _of injuries was a better term; the scarlet bruise that _had _been sprawled across his face was receding almost impossibly fast. Raven really did swear when it disappeared completely; how the hell was she supposed to escape when the prison warden had powerful healing abilities?

The minute she tried he would simply heal himself and come after her; if she landed a hit on him at all that was. Raven wasn't going to delude herself into thinking that her hit hadn't been lucky; he had simply been unprepared. There was no way an unpowered girl could have gotten the upper hand otherwise.

Suddenly Rancid smirked and rose to his full height; his smooth features now showing no signs Raven had hit him at all. "Nice one _Raven_." He rolled his tongue over a name in a way that made her feel sick; stepping closer to her as he did so. "I knew you'd be a fighter, wouldn't have even looked at you if you weren't." His grin didn't falter as he took more and more steps towards where she stood; still bleeding into the ruins of the broken vanity.

"But _punching _me?" Closer and closer; Raven suddenly realized that, between the wall behind her and Jinx at the door, there would be nowhere to go if he kept coming. Punching him again wouldn't work; he'd expect it now.

Rancid let out a dark chuckle as he stopped directly in front of her; his body so close now that his breath ruffled her hair. "That takes guts girlie."

With a sharp look towards the two H.I.V.E students; Rancid waved a dismissing hand. "Stand down, I'll handle this myself." Both teens nodded, though Jinx's was reluctant, and fell out of their offensive stances. Raven saw this and assumed that that would be it; but Rancid didn't seem to be done yet.

"Next time," He began with a tone turned evil as he directed an equally murderous gaze at Jinx; red eyes burning like fire as he glared. "Wait for _my_ orders. Got it?"

If Jinx was daunted by the appearance of her new boss she didn't show it; if anything she seemed rather used to the lecture. Rancid's grin returned when she nodded in an almost pitiful way; it was obvious that Jinx was no stranger to acting classes.

"If you get it then leave," He waved a dismissing hand again; this time resulting in both Jinx and her silent friend leaving the room in their respective ways. Only when they were gone did he turn back to his prey; grin turning to frown when he saw the bloodied glass she still held.

Raven glared and held her glass like a sword; lip still curled at Rancid's proximity. Escape had ceased being possible the moment he had gotten within ten feet; even with Jinx gone didn't make her odds any better. Raven could barely squeeze around him, much less make a dash for the door; her best bet would be fighting, even if her only weapon was a piece of glass.

"That won't do you any good girlie." He commented dryly. "I'll just do this." His fingers snapped and all the shards of glass transformed simultaneously; Raven scowled as she threw the now black rose down to its pile of brethren.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be." His voice would have been a coo if it wasn't for the cruelty hidden within it. One of his hands nearly brushed her skin before she lunged, nearly biting the offending digits before Rancid pulled it back; only for his other arm to snake around her waist and bring her crashing into him.

"Get _off _of me!" She hissed; frustrated that, without the aid of her powers, she was much weaker than Rancid's transformed form. Pulled up against him like this; she couldn't even knee him in the crotch.

"No luck girlie," He laughed, leaning further into his captive as if he planned to rest his chin on her head. Raven could only stiffen as his rough lips laid a gentle kiss right in the middle of her forehead; almost directly on the vanity-induced wound from earlier.

Almost immediately a cool sensation washed throughout her; beginning from his lips and shooting straight to her toes. Only once her body had returned to normal did he let her go; that almost continuous smile gracing the very lips that had so recently touched her skin. Raven was speechless; though if it was by shock or horror she did not know.

"You will be my Queen Raven." Rancid declared with a heated look in his red eyes, "It won't be now, but you will be." The transformed biker strode over to the door with an confident gate; he tossed a wink over his shoulder.

"And trust me, you will be willing."

On his way out he grabbed the maid from earlier and shoved her back into the room; barely heard him order her to clean up the roses and splintered wood before he was gone.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Robin sat crossed legged as Starfire stoked the little fire that they had created not too long ago; neither he or the other Titans bothering to talk as the silence set in. His bike, now fixed and ready, leaned up against the cave's wall almost mournfully; like it too was sad that they hadn't found the friend they had been so determined to find.

It had seemed so simple, just fly around and find them; but it had proven to be anything but. Johnny rancid hadn't only changed the architecture after all; he had changed the whole order of things. It wasn't even 15 minutes in before all of them got horribly lost.

Eventually BeastBoy found the cave; tired as they all were, it was very quick before the decision was reached to camp there. Robin didn't like it, he felt like they should move more, look more; they should be out searching until they drop. It felt wrong to sit down to a warm fire while Raven could be suffering more by the moment.

"Robin should have some dinner," Larry had appeared behind him, startling but not quite enough to get a reaction; Robin just wasn't in the mood. The little guy handed him what looked like a fish on a stick. "Eat it," He encouraged. "It's good."

"You guys better have some tofu on one of these sticks." BeastBoy commented dully from near the entrance, a few withered apples in his arms. "There isn't much veggie in Rancid land."

"Shut it BB," Cyborg snapped half-heartedly; seemingly fumbling around with what looked like a plug complete with a generator. Robin blinked at the sight of it but said nothing; with Larry here nothing surprised him anymore.

Even Starfire looked tired, her endless energy whittled away to near nothing as she poked the flames. Seeing his state she looked up; abandoning her post as she flew over to where there leader brooded.

"Friend Robin, Don not worry." She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and attempted a smile. "Friend Raven will come to no harm. The man Rancid was not. . ." She paused, as if not quite sure how to phrase the next part. "As hostile as expected."

At this Robin looked up, blinking at the group's resident alien. "Not hostile?" He questioned with slight curiosity, not quite sure how he should take this news. "Why would he take her then?"

Starfire seemed to think a moment before she responded. "Friend Raven is more like the man Rancid then we are." She supplied finally, her gaze drifting over to the crackling fire as if she could see the entirety of the universe within its simple colors. "Perhaps he wishes to change her as he changed reality."

Cyborg and BeastBoy shared a glance; even Larry looked worried. Robin could only smile, for the first time since the Tower feeling like there was actually a chance of getting Raven back. They had assumed he had taken her as a hostage or maybe even to torture her in some way; but this, this was better than they could have dreamed. Raven was strong, stronger than all of them combined. She would hold out until they got her and if Rancid wanted her alive; well, they had time he hadn't wanted to hope for.

"This is bad." BeastBoy let out in a voice quieter than any Robin had ever heard him use. He it seemed didn't quite carry the same feeling towards the news as Robin did; he sounded horrified. "Really, really bad."

"No kidding." This time it was Cyborg, his expression a near mirror image of BeastBoy's. Robin stopped smiling; the sense of foreboding these two were giving off was making him uneasy. For the first time since he met him, Larry said nothing.

"Ok," He turned to his two nervous friends with a serious expression, "What's going on?"

There was another shared glance before Cyborg sighed. He motioned for the other Titans to sit around him; putting down his plug contraption as he did so. Only were all gathered did he begin.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this, neither is BB; we both promised Raven that we wouldn't." He gazed off to the distance as if he could see the lost Titan out there somewhere. Finally he let out another sigh. "I think she'll forgive us on this one though."

"Raven has a dark side, buried deep within her mind. We think being here might do something to it, unleash it." There was another deep breath as the mechanical Titan began to take on an almost foreboding air.

"If we're correct than we have to hurry. If we don't then the Raven we know, _our _Raven will be gone."

"And believe me." That was BeastBoy, sounding almost as foreboding as Cyborg did. "You don't want to meet the new one."


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/n: Sorry it took so long, I'm trying to operate on a different schedule. Anyway, hope you like the new chapter and don't hesitate to review.**_

_**D: I do not own any Teen Titan copyrights.**_

Jinx strode down the hallway with long, measured, and careful strides; appearing to the world as calm as an angel. The peaceful facade shattered instantaneously the moment she lashed out brutally; smashing a nearby wall effortlessly with a shout of pure rage.

"Angry?" Kyd Wykkyd inquired quietly as he emerged from the shadows; his eyebrow rising slightly at the display. "That girl?"

"She's not just _that girl_!" The pink witch screamed, smashing yet another wall in frustration. "She's a _Tita__n_!" At that the girl rounded on her friend with a single accusing finger pointed his way; as if she blamed him for the new development. The dark villain didn't respond and, eventually, Jinx lowered her hand.

"I could've destroyed her back there," She whispered in an almost forlorn way. "I know I could. Instead I had to watch while our new _boss_ sat there and made goo-goo eyes." There was a dejected huff as she finally turned away from her classmate; her catlike eyes narrowing as she glared at the ground. "It's pathetic."

Kyd Wykkyd seemed to think for a minute before he glided over to her fuming form; saying nothing as his hand covered hers. The reaction was instantaneous; and the pink flames that had so recently raged were quenched within seconds. Jinx sighed at her friend's touch; knowing him well enough by now to understand what he was trying to tell her.

"Your right," She allowed, turning those menacing eyes to look at him as she gently took back her hand. "It's not my place."

One of those rare smiles graced the villain's face briefly before he was gliding away again; heading for the shadows from where he would vanish. She almost stopped him, and probably would have too; had her team not decided on then to make their entrance.

By the time Mammoth had dropped his turkey leg in surprise, the silent teen had vanished.

"Whoa Jinx," The largest member of their team let out as he bent to retrieve his fallen food. "Something piss you off?"

"Yes as a matter of fact, a lot of things actually." The teen witch replied curtly as she turned to face not only Mammoth, but Gizmo as well. Suddenly a bright, extremely un-Jinx-like smile appeared on her features; the sight itself enough to cause both boys to freeze out of both shock and terror.

"Don't worry though," She let out as the smile morphed into a sly grin; the girl herself striding past her two teammates as she spoke. "I'm better now."

"Crud." Gizmo swore in an almost appreciative voice as soon as the pink haired witch was out of sight. "Remind me never to be on the bad side of _her _mood swings."

His gigantic teammate nodded slowly as he took in both Jinx's episode and what she had apparently done to the walls. If the smoking craters and half-caved in rooms were anything to go by; her mood had been much, much worse earlier on. Finally he gulped, letting whatever was left of that turkey leg make the painful trip down his throat before he shuttered and uttered the one thing that this experience had made him sure of.

"Jinx is scary."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

When Raven heard the explosions and undeniable screams, she couldn't hold back the triumphant smirk that crept onto her features. Jinx, it seemed, did not take being ordered around very lightly. Or maybe it was being ordered to not kill her that the witch took offense at; even if those weren't exactly the words that Rancid had used.

From the sounds of crumbling rubble she had probably wiped out an entire hallway. It was easily fixed considering Rancid's new reality-bending powers, but Raven could see something else entirely gleaming behind this event.

Rancid did not have full control of his empire yet; she didn't expect him to. This was to new a concept for everyone to just bow under his rule. To be frank; Raven was rather surprised he had followers at all. Even with followers though, his support would be shaky at best; it would take years before he had the respect and experience he needed to go unchallenged.

Until then there would be doubts, doubts of how fit of a ruler the demonized biker really was. Jinx had obviously had some misgivings if the sounds of destruction were anything to go by. She would bet money that every H.I.V.E student here felt something along similar lines; and Raven would be dammed if she didn't use that fact to her full advantage.

Still smirking slightly she turned toward where she knew her guard to be; as she had caught sight of him briefly when Rancid had stormed out. The dark titan took a deep breath before she approached the still open doorway, only stopping once she knew that she was in hearing range. Trying her best to adopt a friendly tone, Raven began to speak.

"You know," She began, pausing to ensure that this mysterious villain could hear her starting words. "It's kind of sad for someone like _Jinx _to be shown up like that. I mean, she's beat _me_ before. Why should she have to listen to some every day street thug who just happened to get lucky? Anyone could have jumped into that light; it doesn't make him anyone special."

The guard was definitely listening now; enough for the boy- or was it boys?- to peek in their identical faces curiously. Admittedly, Raven had thought she had only one guard; so seeing two put her off for a few seconds. That was, until she noticed how remarkably similar the two figures really were; beyond the red jumpsuits and black masks they were perfectly identical.

She narrowed her eyes, were they twins then? Or perhaps something more?

"Hey Billy," The one on the left called out to his partner in an unmistakable southern accent, "I think she's on to something."

"Right you are Billy," The other one replied in an eerily alike voice, though it was more his words than his voice that confused her. They were both called Billy? Suddenly both 'Billies' turned to her at once, saying their next sentence in absolute perfect union.

"Why should we listen to you huh? We're Billy Numerous and we won't fall for some silly ol' trick!"

"You shouldn't," Raven replied smoothly, pushing aside her confusion in favor of focusing on the situation at hand. "I'm not even going to try and trick you actually, you're probably stronger than Jinx anyway."

If her earlier speech had caught their attention, this had snagged it. "Stronger than Jinx?" They echoed slowly, their chests already beginning to puff up. "By golly!" The one on the left cried, "She's not as dumb as she looks. Is she Billy?"

"No siree Billy!" The other one replied, looking so cocky and arrogant that Raven had to fight the urge to vomit right then and there. She held it in though; their conversation was far from over.

"Why else would Rancid put you on guard duty?" She commented with fake awe. "In fact, I bet you're so strong that he _never_ tells you what to do."

Both faces fell simultaneously at her words. If Raven wasn't so emotionless, she would have laughed at how easy they were to fool. She was actually rather glad that Jinx hadn't stayed behind to keep an eye on her; she never would have been tricked this easily.

"Well actually. . ." One of the Billies began only to get elbowed by the other. It was enough though, Raven pretended to be disappointed by this revelation; for once silently thanking Starfire for her lessons on emotions.

"Oh well," Raven let out with a faint sigh, looking up slyly when she let the last part drop. "And here I thought you were the best."

"We are the best!" Both Billies cried furiously before splitting into four, then eight more clones. Raven blinked but tried her best to remain unfazed. "Ain't no good for nothing lucky boy going to one up us either!" There was a huge uproar before all eight clones took off down the hall. Raven barely heard their shout of "WE'RE BILLY NUMEROUS!" before the crowd of Billies was out of sight.

She laughed silently as she made her way in the other direction. Hopefully the racket that this Billy Numerous caused would be enough of a distraction; if he was as good as he claimed then she would be out of this place before Rancid even noticed she was gone.

Taking the stairs so as to not be noticed, Raven actually did let out a small chuckle as she thought about how well this had worked out.

"Oh this was way too easy."

And with that a boulder slammed into her side; slamming her off the staircase and into a landing a few flights below. With a groan and a wince of pain, Raven glared up at her attacker in defiance; only to gape wordlessly at who it was.

"You. . ."

Terra simply smirked from her perch; the blond leering down at her former comrade with undisguised hate.

"I thought you would be happy Raven." She taunted. "After all, you _did _say it was too easy."


	6. Chapter 6

_**a/n: Well you definitely know you've procrastinated too long when someone messages you just to tell you to get your ass moving. I deserved it though, I've been far too lazy than what's good for me and I really appreciated the kick forward. Hope you guys don't have to wait as long for the next one.**_

_**D: I do not own any Teen Titan copyrights.**_

Johnny smirked as he sent a vicious kick to the Billy at his feet; the only one left of the hoard that had first attacked. The original groaned and clutched his side feebly; his bruised hands coming away red from the tears in his costume.

"Pathetic." The biker spat, red eyes now leering with an undisguised contempt. He slammed his foot into the teen again; the force alone sending him flying into the far wall. "I offer you a part of a new world and the first thing you do is try and uproot it? Pathetic."

"It wasn't Billy's fault." The broken villain croaked; trying to crawl from the rubble his fall had created. "That good fer nothin' Titan did it."

Johnny raised an eyebrow; becoming only slightly more interested as his prisoner was brought into the equation. He gave a good look to the masked idiot before him; only now really registering who he was. "You were her guard." He said aloud as his eyes narrowed and his expression became murderous. "Did you leave her alone?"

The cowering kid paled noticeably at the sight of Johnny's anger; his widening eyes just now noticing the fire curling on the tyrant's fists. "N-n-no! I mean yes!" He stuttered; throwing his hands up in defense. "S-she was encouraging us, edging us Billies on." The clueless look darkened a bit as 'Billy' seemed to realize something. "Why that yellow belli- That city slicker put me on! She knew we would lose!"

Johnny growled, all attention lost as he hurried to the door; not even noticing how 'Billy' cringed when he walked by. Suddenly the failed coup was second to what that idiot had done. Leaving the former Titan alone? What was that moron thinking?! If it had been any other time, any other place, he would have ripped off that loud head of his before there was even time to blink.

Lucky for him that Johnny had to find her now; to catch Raven before her escape attempt got too out of hand. He almost groaned at the thought; he didn't even want to think about the trouble she could get into. Powers or not, that witch had proven to get quite. . . creative when she needed to.

A loud crash sounded on the far side of the hotel; powerful enough to shake the walls around him from so far away. "So the fun has already started?" He mused as more explosions shook the foundation; already weakened from Jinx's tantrum earlier. With the random ambush of Billy Numerous he had never been able to punish her for her outburst; but that didn't matter much now did it?

Johnny gave a ruthless chuckle as he headed to where he knew the pink-haired witch would be; in that moment her twisted consequence clear in his head.

Jinx looked up in surprise as he marched in, yanking her out of her seat in one fluid motion. For a split second she looked afraid, but that was gone almost as quickly as it appeared. Unlike Billy, Jinx had always been rather smart. This was the type of girl who knew when it was better to lock those hot headed emotions away.

If only his queen shared the same outlook; but, then again, it wouldn't be as much fun if she did.

"What do you want?" Jinx asked with a clear, level headed tone; as if she had done nothing wrong.

Johnny flashed a cold grin. "I want you to go to the east stairwell." He told her. "There is a hero that needs saving."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Why are you here Terra?" Raven called as she dodged yet another boulder: unpowered limbs screaming at the exertion. "Where's Slade?"

Terra laughed from where she stood, perched upon a floating rock; her strange metallic armor glinting underneath the dim lights. "Do those things really matter?" The blond asked as one of her rocks shattered and bullet like fragments were sent raining down. Blood splattered against the stairs as one found its way into Raven's side; evading her dodge attempt to bury itself deep into her flesh. "Oh," Terra mocked with fake sympathy and a childish voice. "Did I hurt wee little Raven?"

"Answer me!" The Titan spat through the pain; her hands moving to grasp the new wound. "Why are you here?"

"Because the management of the world changed." Terra replied as she leapt lightly onto one of the platforms; her palms glowing yellow as she raised them before her. Her previous pedestal, the largest boulder of them all, wafted almost lazily in front of her in a way that made Raven cringe. She was too injured, too exhausted to even _dream _of evading this one; it would crush her and she couldn't help but wonder _why._ Wouldn't Rancid have something to say if his supposed 'Queen' died under the hands of his subordinates? Was Terra even working for him right now?

The boulder rose in a way that was almost slow motion before it came crashing back down. Raven didn't move, she didn't even close her eyes; she wanted to see the end before she would accept it.

A bright pink energy bolt erupted out of thin air; washing everything with a light rose hue before it cut the boulder in two. Raven blinked, recognizing the energy but not quite willing to accept where it came from. Slowly, she turned to find Jinx, the villain who had just blew up a hallway because she _hated _her; now standing with her hands raised in defense. Rancid lounged in the open doorway behind them both; a smug grin playing pleasantly on his features. At the sight of Terra his face hardened into a vicious glare; evil enough to make Raven flinch. By that sight alone, it was suddenly very obvious that Terra had _not _been acting on his orders.

"Jinx." Terra stated coolly, venom in her words as she addressed the other villain. The blond was focused on the other girl but not once did she look towards Rancid himself. Her eyes would roam, first to Jinx, then to Raven, and then back again; it was like the demon didn't even exist.

Because he made it so to Terra; he wasn't even there.

Smart, Raven admitted reluctantly; her eyes flashing to the man in the doorway with newfound interest. He's testing her, seeing how she'll react when he's not there to monitor her reactions. Not only that but he's also using Jinx as well. Jinx had proven unreliable as well, perhaps this was even a test for her as well; maybe he was visible to Raven alone.

Raven narrowed her eyes at the realization. Why only her?

"I'm afraid you can't destroy our boss's pet just yet." Jinx said in clipped tones, like every word pained her. "He wants her alive."

Terra opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, only to close it hurriedly only seconds later. One of her hands lost its glow as it flew up to her head; landing lightly upon her metal head gear. Headgear? Raven wondered silently as the other teen paused. Is she listening to someone?

"Fine." The blond finally let out, her voice now sounding just as clipped as Jinx's. She turned around in an almost huffy way and fled through the door on her floor. "I guess I never got the memo."

Only heard by Raven's ears, Rancid scoffed behind her; seemingly unimpressed with the excuse. Had he seen the headset? Raven wondered as, for a split second, their eyes met; something cold and calculating flashing within the depths of his red gaze. For the first time she could ever remember, Raven shivered at what she saw.

Rancid certainly knew something. The only question was: _what?_

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The town was deathly quiet as Beastboy sniffed around in his dog form; the lack of sound making the creepy gothic architecture even creepier than it already was. Where was everyone? He wondered as he exited yet another back alley; nose pressed close to the cobblestones. That Rancid guy warped the city not the people, they should still be here.

Well unless the guy had done something to them.

He whined at the thought, doggy ears drooping. But there was no way even Rancid could have wiped out an entire city so fast. It'd only been What? Three days? He wasn't exactly sure with the sky always being dark but it really couldn't have been that long! Rancid wasn't _that _powerful.

But then again. Hadn't Larry said that freaky light controlled the universe?

A maid with a garbage bag walked by with loud and hurried footsteps; her presence alone startling the teen hero out of his thoughts. Beastboy yipped as his ears perked and his tail began to wag. There were people! Rancid didn't kill them all!

The wind changed as the maid turned down an alley; cutting off all of his happy thoughts as every molecule in his body froze. Slowly, and then at an all-out run; BeastBoy darted after the girl with old desperation.

That girl smelled like. . . Raven. _Why_ did she smell like Raven?

Beastboy ground to a sudden stop as the alley ended abruptly; the garbage ridden alcove empty save for a dumpster and a few barrels. He almost howled out of sheer frustration. The girl that smelled like Raven was gone, he had done nothing to stop her.

But why did it still smell like her?

Beastboy turned back into his human form and walked over to the dumpster with ginger steps; as if he was afraid the moment would disappear if he rushed. Carefully he ripped open the top bag and removed a single black rose. The green boy stared at the dark petals, the very ones that carried the scent of his teammate so heavily.

"Dude!" He complained loudly, shattering the silence. "What does this even mean?!"


End file.
